Osler's Razor

I just returned from a vocational retreat for former, present, and future St. Thomas students in rural Minnesota (I could tell it was rural because there were no boats on the lake there the entire time, and fish kept jumping out of the water). I was supposedly one of the "leaders" of this retreat along with my colleagues Jerry Organ (the author, most recently, of this fascinating study) and Susan Stabile, but as so often happens I ended up doing a lot more learning than teaching.

One of the exercises we did involved listing, as a group, all the things that can get in the way of our vocational goals. It was quite a lengthy list-- 30-some items.

As I pondered them, though, I became filled with gratitude. Except for a few self-inflicted wounds, there were none that applied to me; I am blessed with so much support and understanding in what I do.

I am lucky... And I am grateful for all those who help and support me along the way. It's too rarely that I take time to reflect on how fortunate I am.